Ana Roxanne - ~~~

Ana Roxanne
~~~
2019
Spotify

The goal for most artists in 2019 is to make something that hits right away. You want to jam those stremaing numbers up and make sure the record company gets you paid. That is the corporate contrived side of the industry that we see over an over again. One pop star or the next could be plugged in, get a hit and then flounder for years trying to find an authentic voice. That is how it usually goes, but sometimes, someone changes that perspective. Ana Roxanne has the tools to be a decent pop star, her soft gentle voice and melodic quality give all her songs this ever present flowing quality. There is nothing rushed on this album, hell nothing even with a sense of urgency, but in the best possible way. It allows acres and acres of space for reflection rather than trying to get a specific idea in your head. "Slowness" opens with a jumbled synth that slowly but surely coalescence and becomes more than the sum of it's parts. It's not until about two minutes in to the 4:20 song that all these fragmented ideas seem to come together as a spoken word segment saying "In existential mathematics... the degree of speed is directly proportional to the intensity of forgetting.". It's a complex idea, presented in a complex way that still gives you the time and space to figure it all out. Roxanne isn't just giving you a song for three minutes, she's giving you something that intends to be long lasting and thought provoking even after the tones are out of your head.

"It's a Rainy Day on the Cosmic Shore" feels exactly like it describes. It opens with a gentle rain starting to fall that transforms into this otherworldly experience then back again. You're allowed to imagine and feel all the emotions of watching the rain fall on some distant planet's beach. It truly takes you there. "Nocturne" is the most haunting of the tracks here. Not only is the theme inherently dark, but her vocals soaring in the distance give this always longing quality to the track. ~~~ is really quite beautiful in it's simplicity. It decides to take a break from the world and exist in it's own space of imagination. This record however asks more of it's listeners than most. Ana Roxanne wants you to sit with this record, allow it to wash over you then think about it's impact. It is not just about that sudden dance rush or exciting guitar lick, this is music meant to question and search for understanding even if it doesn't always get there. A lovely record that captures more than something surface, but does so effortlessly.

8.0 out of 10